Adrian Blackstone built a million-dollar business with hard work and determination—and by remaining professional at all times. Denying his longtime attraction to his beautiful executive assistant hasn’t been easy but it’s necessary. She’s indispensable, and he can’t stand the thought of losing her if things didn’t work out.

For more than a year, Rachel Carter has been quietly dreaming of all the ways she’ll never seduce her sexy, buttoned-up boss. She’s worked too hard to get where she is to cross that line, no matter how badly she’d like to act on her fantasies. But then a wicked snowstorm leaves them stranded in a romantic winter wonderland…

What begins as a single kiss and a few bad Santa jokes turns into a weekend full of breathless passion and hopes for something more. But with Monday comes a return to their complicated reality—and Adrian must prove that promises made are promises kept, especially at Christmastime.

Rating

3.5 out of 5

My Thoughts

You guys, Christmas is only two weeks away! As much as I like reading holiday books, I’m one of those people that reads them in the summer. But I’ve been seeing so many holiday book reviews on blogs (especially April’s!) and it’s put me in a major mood for Christmas books. I thought I would start with Snowbound with the CEO by Shannon Stacey. I’ve been curious about her books for awhile (I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews around the blogosphere), and this novella seemed like the perfect place to start.

I’ve read a a number of novellas over the years. Although they are pleasant enough, because they’re so short, I often find them forgettable. It’s hard to create well-developed characters when the book is so short. But Stacey did a wonderful job of developing her two main characters, and I felt quite connected to both of them.

There’s a lot to like about Rachel. She’s dedicated to her job, and she’s generally a nice person. I think a lot of us can relate to Rachel, crushing on someone who we think won’t ever like us back. I liked Rachel’s love interest, Adrian, too. Even though he was a little dense at the beginning, he wasn’t one of the typical “I’m scared of commitment” guys.

Snowbound with the CEO was a great introduction to Shannon Stacey’s books, and I will definitely be reading more of her novels soon. It’s also put me in the mood for more Christmas stories. If you’re wanting to try something by Shannon Stacey, I definitely recommend starting with this one.